Flashlight holster



March 14, 1950 A. T. MAHAN FLASHLIGHT HOLSTER Filed Aug. 1, 1947 Java/1707* flr/m/r I? Ma hwy,

Patented Mar. 14, 1950 UNHTED STATE PATENT OFFICE FLASHLIGHT HOLSTER Arthur '1. Maii'an, Chester, Pa.

Application August 1, 1947, Serial No. 765,296

2 Claims.

My invention relates to an improved belt-supported flashlight holster, the primary object of the invention being to provide a flashlight holster which is adjustable for Various sizes of flashlights, which is simple, practical, and decorative in form, and which holds the flashlight securely and prevents unnecessary motion of the flashlight relative to and against the person of the wearer, without rendering the flashlight dificult to remove and replace in the holster.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description and the appended drawings showing a preferred, but not limiting, embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the holster.

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing in phantom lines a belt with which the holster is associated and a flashlight in place therein.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section along the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan View of the body of the holster flattened to illustrate its shape.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the body 5 of the holster, which is made of leather or other suitable flexible sheet material, comprises the generally rectangular portion 6 which is slightly narrower across than the circumference of the largest diameter flashlight to be carried and only long enough to overlie a suflicient portion of the length of a flashlight l to properly support the same, as indicated in Figure 2, with the head 8 and switch 9 exposed and somewhat of the lower end l exposed, above and below, respectively, the portion 6.

Along the substantially straight side edges II of the rectangular portion 6 are rows of lace holes l2, each consisting in this case of six holes.

The holster body further comprises the generally triangular tail portion [3 depending from the portion 6 and having slightly convexly curved edges i l preceeding upwardly and outwardly from the tip I5. A lace-locking hole I6 is provided in the apex of the tip 15, with holes I? spaced on either side adjacent the edges M. Other holes [8 are provided along the upper part of the said edges, and transversely aligned with these are inner lace holes 59 which are spaced above, but somewhat laterally outwardly set from the holes ll.

The holster body further includes a generally triangular upper entrance part 20 which has double curved side edges 2 i, and the apex of the part 20 terminates in a reduced width straplike part 22, which has one or more snap-fastener or other suitable fastener elements 23 adjacent its upper end to connect with the complementary elements 24 which are provided on the body part 20, so as to lock the strap safely in looped position around the belt 25 of the wearer, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. The exposed side of the side edges of the body part 6 may have facings 26 for reinforcement and decoration.

A single thong or lace 21 is cross-laced from top to bottom in transverse pairs of the holes I2, as shown in Figure 1, the lace being passed outwardly through the top holes and passed inwardly through the bottom holes, whence the separate flights or lace ends 28 are passed outwardly again, through the holes l1 and around the outside of the holster, and inwardly again, through the holes IS. The lace ends are then passed downwardly along the inside of the holster and passed outwardly through the holes H. The lace ends are then together passed inwardly through the single lace-locking hole is and permitted to fall in a trailing dependent position inside the holster, as shown. It will be observed that the portions of the lace which are positioned within the holster act as loose grippers upon the sides of the flashlight 1 whereby the flashlight is safely retained against being jarred or slung out of the holster by body movement of the wearer or ordinary accidental collisions with other persons or objects. It will also be observed that the passing of both lace ends inwardly and the subsequent downward pulling thereof through the lace-locking hole l5. after the lace ends have been pulled to cause the crosslacing to contract the circumference of the holster body part 6 to closely correspond to the diameter of the flashlight body contemplated, releasably locks the lace ends so as to prevent relaxing of the lacing.

I claim:

1; A holster for a flashlight or the like, made from a blank including a sheet of flexible material which comprises a generally rectangular portion with two perforate opposite side edges adapted to be laced together and of substantially sufficient width to encircle a flashlight, a generally triangular tail portion integral with the lower end of the generally rectangular portion and having the edge thereof slightly curved, and upwardly-extending strap portion integral with the upper end of said generally rectangular portion, and outwardly-widened portions having double curved edges at the sides of the lower end of said strap portion and integral with the upper end of said generally rectangular portion of said blank.

2. A holster for a flashlight or the like, made from a sheet of flexible material and including a substantially hollow cylindrical portion having a substantially triangular upper entrance portion and a downwardly and rearwardly-inclinedhollow irustum portion at the lower end thereof, an upwardly-extending strap member integral with the upper rear portion of the hollow cylindrical portion, fastener elements upon said upper rear portion of said hollow cylindrical portion of said holster, and corresponding fastener elements upon the end of said strap member allowing the latter to be looped over exteriorly and connected to the first-mentioned fastener elements upon the exterior of said upper rear portion of said hollow cylindrical portion of the holster for securing the latter to a belt, the hollow cylindrical portion being formed with a pair of meeting edges laced together at the forward portion thereof to form the hollow cylindrical portion of said holster.

ARTHUR T. MAHAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the.

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

